An exciting new film group is being launched for youngsters in Bo'ness - with anyone who would love a career in front of - or behind - the camera, or who's just looking for a bit of fun being invited to come along.

If you're aged 12 - 20 years, you like watching films or do you prefer to get behind the camera? Or maybe you can write music for films, or fancy yourself as a film blogger or tweeter? Could you fill the shoes of Jonathan Ross and Claudia Winkleman in 2020 or perhaps you are a film programmer at heart? If the answer is 'yes' - or even 'maybe' to any of these questions and you are aged 12-20 years, Falkirk Council's Arts Development Officer (Film and Media), Alison Strauss would like to meet you.

Together with her colleague Astrid Shearer (Audience Development Officer), Alison is hosting an open meeting at Bo'ness Academy, Gauze Road at 3:30pm on Thursday 16th September, to talk about membership and new opportunities to get involved with the 'Big Screen Bo'ness' film group.

Membership of Big Screen Bo'ness is now open for the year ahead and Alison is keen to sign up new recruits. "The group was established in 2008 and in that time they have made four short films, and provided the images for a multi-media collaborative event devised as part of the recent mpower festival at the macrobert"explained Alison.

The meeting on the 16th will be a chance to sign up future filmmaking projects with the group but there are new ways to get involved as well. "Members of Big Screen Bo'ness have made programming suggestions for titles we have screened at the Hippodrome and I'm keen to build on this" Alison said.

"Being behind or in front of the camera is not the only way to get hands-on with film", she continued. "This is a chance for young people to really make the group their own, to play a part in running the committee, to write film reviews for their peers, or on-line blogs" What I'm looking for is a team of dedicated film champions in the area, a group that is passionate about everything to do with movies."

"Brainwashed", the latest production made by Big Screen Bo'ness, with the support of professional filmmaker David Barras, will be screened at the Hippodrome over the Halloween weekend before the main feature - Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (PG), Saturday 11am and Sunday 2:30pm.

"Brainwashed" follows reporter Melvin Love who is dispatched to the Maxim Research Institute to investigate controversial experiments conducted by scientist Frances Stein, only to uncover something far more sinister than he could have imagined.

Screening alongside this is another local, prize-winning film: "That's Life". Made by 16 year-old Caroline Orr from Brightons, the darkly humorous film short won first place in the 2009 Glasgow Film Festival "One Minute Film Competition"

The Big Screen Bo'ness meeting will be held on Thursday 16th September 3:30pm- 4:30pm, in the Conference Room at Bo'ness Academy, Gauze Road, Bo'ness EH51 9AS.